KAP Motors Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation
[2008] FCA 159
At a glance
Source factsCourt
Federal Court of Australia
Decision date
2008-02-28
Before
Emmett J
Source
Original judgment source is linked above.
Judgment (11 paragraphs)
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT 1 This proceeding concerns the question of whether two taxpayers who overpaid goods and services tax (GST) to the Commissioner of Taxation are entitled to recover the overpaid GST. It raises a question as to the construction of s 105-65 of Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 (Cth) (the Administration Act) and a question as to whether the taxpayers should, as a condition of being entitled to recover the overpaid GST, be required to account for the refunded amount to persons who paid the amount of the GST to the taxpayers. 2 The proceeding has been conducted on the basis of agreed facts. The parties have posed two specific questions for the Court on the basis that the outcome of the proceeding will be determined by the answers to those questions.
RELEVANT STATUTORY PROVISIONS 3 The pivotal concepts for the operation of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (Cth) (the GST Act) are taxable supplies and creditable acquisitions. Section 7-1(1) of the GST Act relevantly provides that GST is payable on taxable supplies and s 7-1(2) relevantly provides that entitlements to input tax credits arise on creditable acquisitions. Amounts of GST and input tax credits are set off against each other to produce a net amount for a tax period. Under s 7-15, the net amount in a tax period is the amount that a taxpayer must pay to the Commonwealth or that the Commonwealth must refund to the taxpayer, in respect of the period. The net amount is ascertained by deducting the amount of input tax credits from the amount of GST. 4 Under s 9-5, a person makes a taxable supply if: · the person makes the supply for consideration; · the supply is made in the course or furtherance of an enterprise carried on by the person; · the supply is connected with Australia; and · the person is registered or required to be registered. However, a supply is not a taxable supply to the extent that it is GST free or input taxed. The GST Act thus expressly contemplates that there may be a supply that is not a taxable supply. The significance of that will become apparent. 5 Accordingly, for there to be a taxable supply, there must first be a supply for consideration. Under s 9-10, a supply is 'any form of supply whatsoever' and includes any of the following: · a supply of goods; · a supply of services; · a provision of advice or information; · a grant, assignment or surrender of real property; · a creation, grant, transfer, assignment or surrender of any right; · a financial supply; · an entry into or release from an obligation; · any combination of any two or more of those matters. By reason of s 9-10(3), it does not matter whether it is lawful to do, to refrain from doing or to tolerate the act or situation constituting the supply. However by reason of s 9-10(4), a supply does not include a supply of money unless the money is provided as consideration for a supply that is a supply of money. 6 Under s 9-15, consideration includes any payment or any act or forbearance in connection with a supply of anything and any payment or any act of forbearance in response to or for the inducement of a supply of anything. It does not matter whether the payment, act or forbearance was voluntary or whether it was by the recipient of the supply. 7 A person is entitled to an input tax credit for any creditable acquisition made by the person. Under s 11-5, a person makes a creditable acquisition if: · the person acquires anything solely or partly for a creditable purpose; · the supply of the thing to the person is a taxable supply; · the person provides or is liable to provide consideration for the supply; and · the person is registered or required to be registered. Thus, for an acquisition to be a creditable acquisition, the supply of the thing to the person must be a taxable supply and the acquisition must have been for a creditable purpose. Under s 11-15, a person acquires a thing for a creditable purpose to the extent that the person acquires the thing in carrying on an enterprise. 8 If the net amount in respect of a taxpayer for a relevant tax period is greater than zero, the taxpayer is required to remit that amount to the Commissioner. If the net amount is less than zero, the Commissioner is required to pay a refund of that amount to the taxpayer. The net amount is determined under a self-assessment régime by a taxpayer lodging a GST return, referred to as a business activity statement. 9 Section 105-65 of Sch 1 to the Administration Act applies, relevantly, to so much of any net amount or amount of indirect tax as a person has overpaid. Indirect tax includes GST. Section 105-65(1) relevantly provides that the Commissioner need not give to a person a refund to which s 105-65 applies if: · the person overpaid the amount because a supply was treated as a taxable supply to an extent; · the supply was not a taxable supply to that extent; and · the Commissioner is not satisfied that the person has reimbursed a corresponding amount to the recipient of the supply.